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Hávamál, The Saying of Odin, Stanza 11
Hail and welcome! This is Huginn's Heathen Hof, with your Daily Hávamál.
Original-
Byrði betri
berrat maðr brautu at
en sé manvit mikit
vegnest verra
vegra hann velli at
an sé ofdrykkja öls
Translation-
Just as a man can carry no better
burden on the road than Common Sense,
He can likewise carry no WORSE burden
than the over-drinking of ale.
-Hávamál: Stanza 11
In stanza 11, we see the third repetition on the importance of Common Sense, and the first of a series of warning about the dangers of drinking to much. Unlike some other religious traditions, the Lore never tries to BAN alcohol, or imply that it's consumption is inherently bad. Rather, most Germanic/Norse cultures placed an emphasis of discipline and self control. You could "eat, drink, and be merry", but you were expected to be able to hold you liquor and know when to stop.
